Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or any other holiday at this time of year, all of us here at BoxingWatchers.com want to wish you and yours a very happy holiday season and all the best in 2012. We also want to thank you for your support so that we can keep doing what we do.
Here's to a great year with plenty of exciting action in the ring!
Remember back when Kelly Pavlik's trainer and manager got all bent out of shape because evil internet sites were reporting that the Pride of Youngstown needed rehab for substance abuse issues? Despite their indignant stance, the rumors were eventually proven to be correct when Pavlik did, in fact, enter rehab.
Sad as it is, Pavlik may not have won the battle with his demons just yet. He was charged with misdemeanor drunken driving earlier this week following a one-car accident near his home in Youngstown. As an isolated incident it may not be smart to read too much into it, but this is now just the latest in a pattern of self-destructive behavior from the former middleweight champ.
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By now you've no doubt heard the news. Floyd Mayweather will be headed to jail early next year after a judge sentenced him to 90 days for his guilty plea to a battery domestic violence charge. He'll also have to pay a $2,500 fine and do 100 hours of community service.
As boxing fans, we're most concerned with what this does to the landscape of top-level boxing matches for 2012. And boy, does it do a lot.
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The Super Six World Boxing Classic finale on Showtime is about to get underway. The broadcast starts at 9:00 pm EST, so check back here for updates.
The broadcast for the final has begun, I'm not sure how much buildup there will be leading up to the actual fight, but as far as I know it's the only fight on the card.
Gus Johnson, tonight's MC, tells us that Froch is a 3-1 underdog. Jimmy Lennon Jr. is in the ring to introduce both fighters. The fight should begin in about ten minutes.
Lucian Bute is in the house as is Anthony Dirrell, both who are potential opponents for tonight's winner.
They're still going through fanfare. I'd give it another 10 minutes until the fighters are in the ring.
Here we go. Froch is on his way in. He's in and here comes Ward. Ward is in. Time for the intros.
Ward has an undefeated record of 24-0 with 13 KOs while Froch's record is 28-1 with 20 KOs.
Here we go.
Round 1:
They square off in the center. They begin by feeling each other out. Froch throws a jab to test the distance. Ward circles the ropes. Andre clinches. The break and he clinches again. Nothing meaningful thrown or landed yet. Froch lands a stiff jab. Ward follows up with one of his own. Ward dodges a jab and a wide hook from Froch. Ward lands a counter jab. Froch lands a jab. Ward gets on the inside and lands some action. They fight out. Froch lands a hook to the body. Ward lands two jabs. Ward is scoring with the jab and it should win him the first round.
Parker: 10-9 Ward
Round 2:
Ward begins with a jab. He looks looser in there than Froch. Ward is peppering Froch now with jabs. Ward gets inside and lands the better punches while there. Froch lands an uppercut and a jab from the outside. Both fighters are throwing more now. Ward lands another jab. Froch lands one of his own. Ward's hands look a lot foster. Froch gets clocked with a left hook that he didn't see and Froch stumbles. He makes it out of the round, but it's another round for Ward.
Parker: 10-9 Ward
Round 3:
Froch steps on the gas and throws a flurry early. Ward blocks most of it. Ward lunges with a jab to the body. Froch backs up. Ward sneaks in another jab. Froch is coming forward with his hands down as he has in previous fights. That could spell trouble for him since Ward's handspeed looks incredible. Ward comes in and Froch lands a left to the body. Froch is having trouble figuring out Ward's defense. Ward lands a double-left hook. Ward comes in and clinches again. They fight out and trade punches. Ward lands a jab, but Froch lands a nice right hook. Closer round, but I still give it to Ward.
Parker: 10-9 Ward
Round 4:
Ward lands a nice uppercut as Froch comes inside. Froch throws a flurry, but ward sneaks in a great hook at the end. Ward catches him again as he tries to get inside. Ward lands a big right hand. Froch misses with two hooks of his own. Ward lands a looping right hand. It's target practice in there for Ward. He's landing big shots now. Froch doesn't know what to do. Froch is in the corner. He's fighting back, but Ward is getting the best out of these exchanges. Froch looks at referee Steve Smoger to break the action, but Smoger lets fighters fight out of these situations. Froch gets out, but Ward lands a great combo right before the bell.
Parker: 10-9 Ward
Round 5:
Ward gets in, and lands a jab to the body. Ward lands a sneaky left hook. He's going back to work, landing at will. Froch just can't catch Ward. He looks outclassed. Froch comes in with his head down. They are fighting on the inside once again. Ward is winning on the inside. Froch fights with frustration and charges Ward with wide hooks, but Ward dodges them well. Froch is throwing more now. Ward shows some defense. Froch lands a nice jab. Froch lands a left hook, plus a left hook before the bell. Close round at the end. Froch probably stole it at the end.
Parker: 10-9 Froch
Round 6:
Thanks to an ill-timed computer crash, I couldn't recap round 6. It was another good round for Ward.
Parker: 10-9 Ward
Round 7:
Same as 6.
Parker: 10-9 Ward
Round 8:
Ward is pitching a shutout here. He's landing at will once again. His punches are adding up and he's starting to hurt Froch with his punches. Ward lands a looping right hand. Froch comes in and gets tagged once more. Ward lands a big right hook. Froch lands a right hand well after the bell. The crowd boos him.
Parker: 10-9 Ward
Round 9:
Ward looks angry, now. Froch just doesn't have the speed to get through ward's defense. Smoger breaks a clinch. Froch gets Ward in the corner, but can't tag him. Ward has Froch in the corner now and Ward goes to work. They trade. Froch lands a nice right hand. Ward lands his own and it does more damage. Froch comes forward and Ward misses with a counter. Froch gets in once again. This time he lands some nice punches. Better round for Froch.
Parker: 10-9 Froch
Round 10:
Froch throws his jab early. Froch is loading up now, looking for a KO. Ward lands a left hook. Ward has Froch against the ropes. Froch looks to Smoger again to break the action. He makes the fighters fight out. Ward has him in the corner once again. Ward lands a nice combo to the body. Ward lands a nice jab after the break. This is another pretty close round. Ward lands a left hook. Now another. Ward lands a vicious combo on the inside to the body and finishes upstairs. The last minute of the round was all Ward.
Parker: 10-9 Ward
Round 11:
Froch lands a good right punches. Ward counters Froch with a nice jab. Ward clinches. Ward is on his back foot now, most likely looking to counter. He's switched to southpaw. Froch is working harder in this round. Ward looks like he may be on his bike now, just coasting down the stretch. He gets Froch against the ropes and lands a combo to the body. Froch makes it out and Ward is against the ropes now. Closer round. I give it to Froch.
Parker: 10-9 Froch
Round 12:
They touch gloves to start the final round. Ward gets on the inside once again. They fight out and Froch is going for the KO. He lands a great combo. Ward clinches. Ward loses his moutpeice. The ref stops the action to reinsert. Ward landsa nice left hook. Froch comes forward and lands a combo upstairs. Smoger breaks another clinch. Ward lands a nice left hook. He's looking to close the show. Ward keeps clinching, and it's frustrating Froch. Ward lands a nice right hook. Ward lands a great left hook right before the bell.
Parker: 10-9 Ward
Parker: 117-111 Ward
The judges score the bout 115-113, 115-113 and 118-110 all for the winner by unanimous decision Andre "SOG" Ward
Nick says...
So it's come to this. What started out more than two years ago as a noble experiment will finally reach its conclusion. I'm talking about the Super Six World Boxing Classic, and while Andre Ward and Carl Froch aren't necessarily battling for undisputed supremacy at 168 pounds (because of the existence of one Lucian Bute), the winner of the tournament final will certainly have earned the nifty trophy he'll receive. no comments
Andre "S.O.G." Ward
Birthplace: San Francisco, California
Resides: Oakland, California
Age: 27
Height: 6' 0"
Reach: 71"
Current World Titles Held: WBA Super Middleweight (168 lbs.)
Former World Titles Held: None
Professional Record: 24-0, 13 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 4-0
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 5-0
Notable Wins: UD12 Arthur Abraham, UD12 Sakio Bika, TD11 Mikkel Kessler
Carl "The Cobra" Froch
Birthplace: Nottingham, England
Resides: Nottingham, England
Age: 34
Height: 6' 1"
Reach: 75"
Current World Titles Held: WBC Super Middleweight (second reign)
Former World Titles Held: None
Professional Record: 28-1, 20 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 5-1, 1 KO
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 7-1
Notable Wins: UD12 Arthur Abraham, TKO12 Jermain Taylor, UD12 Jean Pascal
Notable Loss: Mikkel Kessler UD12
Analysis:
The long and winding road that once marked The Beatles' final act has nothing on the Super Six World Boxing Classic. Yet despite numerous potholes along the way, Showtime's ambitious super middleweight tournament will finally crown a champion on Saturday night when Andre Ward and Carl Froch face off. no comments
Just hours ago, Amir Khan vs. Lamont Peterson took place. Here is the fight's round by round rundown.
Peterson is 28-1-1 and Khan is 26-1.
Here we go.
Round 1:
The crowd is definitely pro-Peterson. They square off in the center of the ring. Khan is throwing the faster jab to begin. Khan's punches look blazingly fast. They clinch and fight out. Khan catches Peterson with a big combo and knocks him into the ropes. Khan catches Peterson with a quick left hook ande Peterson goes down. The ref rules it a slip. Peterson steps on the gas and lands two hooks to the body. Both fighters look loose and comfortable. Khan lands another big left hook and Peterson lands a left of his own, but he goes down from Khan's hook. Peterson makes it up and doesn't look hurt. Great first round.
Parker: 10-8 Khan
Round 2:
The replay shows that the first knockdown was indeed a slip, as was the second one, but the ref ruled it a Knockdown. Khan gets a 10-8 round for the first. They trade punches again in the center of the ring. They are both throwing bombs and throwing caution to the wind. Peterson knocks Khan back with a right hook. Peterson lands a quick jab. He lands another slick hook. Both punchers have incredibly fast hands. Peterson loads up with the right hook, but Khan blocks it. Khan lands a left to the body. Peterson lands a combo upstairs. Khan answers back with one of his own. Very close round. Petson lands a jab and blocks a Khan combo to end the round.
Parker: 10-9 Peterson
Round 3:
They trade once again. Khan sneaks in an uppercut. Peterson lands two right hands around Khan's defense. Both are using a bunch of movement. Peterson alnds a tripple left hook. Now a big right hook. This has been the best round yet. They trade bombs. Peterson is landing the stronger shots. Khan is retreating now. Person lands a right to the head. Now a right to the body. This round is all Peterson down the stretch. Khan comes right back and lands a left before the bell.
Parker: 10-9 Peterson
Round 4:
Peterson lands a nice right hook. Khan comes back and lands a combo to the body. Peterson lands more upstairs. Khan waves him in. Khan counters with a left. Peterson uses good movement to dodge a Khan combo. Khan sneaks in a straight left. Peterson lands a great right hand around the gloves of Khan. Khan needs to be more accurate. Peterson is using good movement to get out of the way of his punches. That was a close round.
Parker: 10-9 Peterson
Round 5:
Khan has some redness under his left eye. Oo a Donovan McNabb siting in the 3rd row. Khan is improving here. He's being more accurate and dodging well. Khan throws a nice left, but slips and falls. It's ruled a slip. Khan lands a 3-punch combo upstairs. Peterson is having trouble finding him.
Parker: 10-9 Khan
Round 6:
Peterson throws a nice combo to start the round. Most of it gets blocked. The clinch, but fight out as they have been. Khan is circling the ring. Khan ducks a Peterson hook beautifully. Peterson lands a hard body shot. Khan is winning this round so far. Khan lands a slick flurry. Peterson lands some great headshots against the ropes, and Khan shakes his head at Peterson to say that his punches aren't hurting. Khan goes back to the body. Another close round.
Parker: 10-9 Peterson
Round 7:
Khan is getting in, throwing and landing, and getting out. Petson wiffs with a left. Khan comes back with a nice combo. Peterson comes forward and lands two hooks upstairs. Peterson gets in a left hook that Khan didn't see coming. Khan is throwing more and may be landing more, but Peterson is landing the bigger bombs. Khan is running around the ring. Blood is trickling from Khan's nose. Khan gets a point deducted for pushing after several warnings.
Parker: 10-8 Peterson
Round 8:
Freddy Roach is very angry about the point deduction, but pushing with the forearm is technically illegal. Khan continues to circle the ring and Peterson must be the aggressor. Peterson gets Khan in the corner and goes to work. Peterson lands a brilliant right hook, plus two shots to the body. Peterson is rocking Khan this round. He landed a punch that was close to the low blow territory. Khan is on his bike. Khan looks badly hurt, but is staying up. Peterson is working the body exclusively and landing nearly everything. Khan barely threw anything in the last minute.
Parker: 10-9 Peterson
Round 9:
Peterson barrells forward to try to continue his work to the body. He lands a left hook downstairs. Khan lands a nice left uppercut. Peterson lands a big uppercut and two big hooks. Khan shakes his head again. Khan misses with an uppercut. Both are still loading up their punches. The jab has gone out the window for both fighters. Khan wobbles Peterson with a big right hand. Petterson looks like he has his legs back under him and continues to fight, but this round is all Khan. Peterson misses with two swinging hooks. Peterson lands a big right hand and Khan backs into the ropes. Amazing round.
Parker: 10-9 Khan
Round 10:
Peterson keeps working. Both Khan and Peterson miss with power shots. Peterson dodges and counters with a right. Khan misses with a counter left. They trade in the center. They both work the body. Peterson lands a nice right hand. Khan continues to move around the ring. Khan is landing more punches than Peterson this round. Tough round to score. Khan was busier.
Parker: 10-9 Khan
Round 11:
Khan misses with a combo after both fighters wait for the other to throw. Both look fatigued. Their punches aren't nearly as crisp as the first four rounds. Khan continues to back up. Peterson gets Khan against the ropes, but Khan slips out and lands a good flurry in the middle. Peterson lands bombs to the body, but Khan lands a nice combo while against the ropes. Khan is taking rounds here at the end, but they are very close.
Parker: 10-9 Khan
Round 12:
Khan lands is extra busy this round. He's landing big, crisp punches. Khan lands two more hooks in a combo. Khan pushes Peterson and loses another point! The crowd is not happy. Khan goes back to work and back to winniing the round. It's all Khan in 12. He's landing huge combos and Peterson looks lost in there. Khan lands a nice left. Peterson clinches. Khan keeps busy and is rocking Peterson in there. They trade to the end. It's over.
Parker: 9-9
Parker: 112-113 Peterson
The judges score the bout 113-112 Peterson, 114-111 Khan, and 113-112 for the winner by split decision Lamont Peterson
Nick says...
There were originally scheduled to be two big fights in two different parts of the world today, but Wladimir Klitschko finally met a foe he couldn't jab and right hand his way past - that'd be a kidney stone - so we're left with just one. Fortunately it's not a bad one, at least on paper, as Amir Khan tries to continue his ascent to the very top of the sport by getting past Lamont Peterson.
This is Khan's third appearance in a boxing ring in 2011, and he looked very sharp in his previous two outings. He was simply too much for Paul McCloskey in every facet of the game in April, and it took him only five rounds to dispose of Zan Judah in July. King Khan seemingly continues to improve each time out, yet at age 25, there's a sense that his best is still in front of him.
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The Hitman is taking his rightful place in Canastota, along with today's top trainer, the world's most famous ring announcer and Showtime's esteemed color commentator.
Next year's inductees into the International Boxing Hall of Fame were announced today, and the Class of 2012 will consist of 13 people. Chief among the boxers going in is Thomas Hearns, who represented the Motor City by racking up world titles in five different weight classes while battling the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Wilfred Benitez and Marvin Hagler.
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It's main event time from Anaheim on Showtime Championship Boxing. Abner Mares and Joseph Agbeko will do battle for a second time after Mares' victory earlier this year was sullied by what appeared to be numerous unpunished low blows. Referee Russell Mora ended up at the center of attention on that night, but the focus will be back on two talented bantamweights tonight.
The announce team of Steve Albert, Al Bernstein and Antonio Tarver dissect the first bout, coming to the conclusion that Mares was not throwing low shots on purpose, but Agbeko still got done dirty by the officiating. All three commentators expect a tighter leash by tonight's referee and a close, competitive bout.
Agbeko, who is known as "King Kong," makes his way out, seeking to regain his IBF title. He is 28-3 with 22 KOs over the course of his career.
Wearing a skull bandanna and accompanied by a live rapper, Mares comes out second. The young Mexican is undefeated as a pro, coming in with a 22-0-1 record with 13 knockout victories.
The tale of the tape shows that these fighters are basically even in height and reach. Mares is five years younger, which could make a difference when you consider what these men have been through during Showtime's bantamweight tournament.
As usual, Jimmy Lennon Jr. introduces the fighters in classy style. Tonight's referee is Dr. Lou Moret, who will clearly be keeping a keen eye on all body shots. The formalities are out of the way, so let's settle in for a scheduled 12 round of boxing.
Round 1
Both men test the water with jabs. Agbeko tries a sneaky hook and misses a few big swings. Agbeko lands a left hand, and they go to work at close range. Mares lands a quick combo while Agbeko tries the body. Mares punches Agbeko a few times in the back. King Kong works the body again; Mares whips out an uppercut. Left hook by Agbeko as he hops in. They both land hooks, and there's a scramble with the fighters' arms tangled up.
Tylwalk: 10-9 Agbeko
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